The Colorado River Basin blankets a 246,000 square mile area that includes parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of the states of Baja and Sonora Mexico.

Water delivered from the Colorado River serves nearly 40 million municipal and industrial customers, 22 Native American tribes and more than 6 million acres of irrigated agriculture. In addition 7 wildlife refuges, four national recreation areas and 11 national parks depend on the river for vital water supplies.

The Colorado River system is stretched to its limit: over allocation, drought, climate change and ever increasing demands mean that actions must be taken now to prevent harmful future shortages.  Water managers have been and will continue to work with the US Department of the Interior, the Basin tribes, environmental groups and our neighbors in Mexico to create and implement new solutions for the range of serious challenges facing the Basin. 

This beautifully crafted, 9-minute video, written and produced by Central Arizona Project and Studio 522 Productions, Inc, compels all Colorado River water users to take action to ensure the sustainability of this vital resource. Conservation, cooperation and wise water planning are crucial as is continued significant investment in the Basin’s wide range of assets.  

Watch this informative video to find out more about the basin.